The BBC One miniseries, in association with HBO, is an adaptation of JK Rowling’s global bestseller The Casual Vacancy and consists of three one-hour parts.

The Casual Vacancy centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade, however, is a town at war: rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils. The drama has been adapted by Sarah Phelps (The Crimson Field) and produced by Ruth Kenley-Letts (The Tunnel, the Emmy winner The Hour)

BAFTA Award-winning actor Michael Gambon (Quirke) will play Howard Mollison, owner of the Pagford delicatessen, with Julia McKenzie (Notes On A Scandal) playing his wife Shirley. Howard’s son Miles is being played by Rufus Jones (W1A) with his wife Samantha Mollison being played by Keeley Hawes (Line Of Duty). Rory Kinnear (Skyfall, Penny Dreadful), will play Barry Fairbrother, Keeley Forsyth (Coronation Street, Emmerdale) is playing Terri Weedon with newcomer Abigail Lawrie cast as her daughter Krystal Weedon.

Monica Dolan (WIA) will play Tess Wall with Simon McBurney (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, Last King Of Scotland) playing her husband Colin Wall. Richard Glover (A Field In England, Sightseers) has been cast to play Simon Price alongside Marie Critchley (In The Flesh, Emmerdale) playing his wife Ruth Price. Michelle Austin (Secrets & Lies, Another Year) will play Kay Bawden.

JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy has sold more than six million copies worldwide since its publication in 2012.